Thinking It Over
by Kyra Rivers
Summary: Perhaps, Takumi thought, things would settle down now. [TakumixAkira, post series fluff]


**Title**: Thinking It Over  
**Series**: Mai-HiME  
**Pairing**: Takumi/Akira  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Spoilers**: End of the series

_Note: stop forgetting to take meds. Yes, you have a new heart. Good for you. Still, the doctor says meds are good, so take meds._

...stop stealing my notebook, Akira.

_Stop making it so easy, Takumi._

---

Perhaps, Takumi thought, things would settle down now.

It wasn't so much that everything had been twisted dramatically in the battle -- in fact, there wasn't much that he could recall, past those terrible moments in the forest. All things considered, it had been nothing more than a blip on the radar, perhaps a story to muse on late at night. Not so much because of what had _happened_ -- because from what he had heard, the HiME battle had been under the Very Important Event category of the world's history, though very few people actually knew about it --, but because his role had been so small.

In fact, Takumi mused, he didn't really have much of a role at all. Most of his memories of monsters or fighting related to Hime activity involved him running away as fast as he could before passing out. Or being _carried_ away as fast as possible. No, Takumi was not a fighter, and so the monumental battle had started and finished with him seated primarily at the sidelines, watching and waiting and wondering what the hell was going on.

Then again, he _had_ vanished into thin air. Really, that was worth some heavy thinking. Especially because it was due to his attachment to his boy-turned-girl roommate. Girlfriend. Person. Now that he thought of it, Takumi wasn't really sure what to call Akira. Every term he could imagine seemed too feminine, or sappy, or liable to get himself beaten with some kind of sharp, ninja-like object. No, best leave it to Akira to decide what he should call her. Less dangerous that way.

Point was, Takumi felt that he was owed some quiet reflective time now that everything had died down. He got his new heart, which was still incredibly weird to think about, no matter how many hospitals he had been to in his life. The school had been rebuilt, and though it was on break at the moment, soon classes would start again. Things were quickly falling back to the normality that it had once assumed. Perfect deep thinking time.

Akira was _not_ making this easy.

"I just think it's stupid," she said, dumbbell in hand. She thrust her arm up as if her intention was to level the ceiling.

"Mm," Takumi said, "well, you have to admit, it makes sense. If you want to start dressing like a girl again, Akira-kun..."

Akira huffed, looking rather irritated by the whole idea. "Of _course_ I'd rather dress as a girl." She flushed slightly, and Takumi couldn't tell if it was a result of the workout or not. "Not -- I don't know, dresses and stuff, but I'd rather not have to dress like a boy _all_ the time. Besides, the tape--"

She abruptly cut off, and Takumi was sure this time that she was blushing.

He looked at her quizzically.

"It's _nothing_," Akira insisted, staring forcefully into a corner. "My point is," she continued before Takumi could inquire further, "that we've been living together for a _year_ and nothing has _happened_ and we get along _fine_ and I'd really rather not have to get along with another roommate all over again."

"Then keep dressing like a boy," Takumi advised, shrugging.

"But it's _uncomfortable_," Akira protested, adding, "and no, I'm not explaining it," before Takumi could say anything.

"Then dress like a girl."

Akira paused in her workout, glaring across the room at Takumi, who was washing up from dinner.

"You," she said, frowning, "are not helping."

Takumi sighed and cast his roommate a long-suffering stare, tempered with a fond smile. Wiping his hands across the washcloth, Takumi said, "We've talked about this a lot, Akira-kun. And I don't want to get a new roommate either, but if dressing as a boy is uncomfortable, then I wouldn't want to have you go through that. It's only going to get worse as you get older, you know."

Akira flushed.

"I have an older sister, remember?" Takumi said with a small smile. "She used to whine all the time about her bre--"

"Okay, _okay_, fine, you get it!" Akira cut him off, waving her arms rapidly to stop him. Takumi turned away politely, allowing her time to catch her bearings; Akira was so shy when it came to personal things. She could lecture someone for _hours_ about ninja protocol or painting techniques, but one offhand comment on feelings or other personal things, and she retreated right back into her shell of hostility. Cute, really.

There was a long period of silence that followed this outburst, where Takumi dried the dishes, put them away, wiped down the counter, and finally found nothing else to occupy him at the sink. So he fretted for a moment, risked a nervous glance at Akira -- who was staring at the ground, steadfastly ignoring him --, and fretted a bit more. They had grown closer, yes, but affection did not change personality too much, and Akira was a very straightforward person who did not enjoy being embarrassed. Though secretly, Takumi sometimes found it amusing to make her flustered. It was remarkably easy at times, considering how self-controlled she was.

Finally, Takumi decided that his schoolwork took precedence over waiting for Akira to finish, well, thinking or meditating or whatever it was that she did, and he took a couple steps toward his bed.

"Maybe I could wait." Akira's voice cut through the silence.

"Wait?" Takumi asked, pausing five steps short of his backpack and looking over at his roommate.

"Well, getting through one more year won't be too bad," murmured Akira, looking away and spinning her dumbbell around in her hands much like she used to do with her HiME dagger. Much slower, of course, but the wrist action was still there, and Takumi was positive that he couldn't do the same. Akira continued, "And maybe by next year the new dormitories will be finished and I can get a private room. Maybe you can get one, too."

"I don't think my scholarship covers that," Takumi replied honestly, shrugging.

Akira shrugged, lips twisted downward disdainfully. "Maybe I could talk to the director. We _were_ both HiME at one time. And I helped save the world. That has to count for something."

Takumi shrugged and finished his path to his bag, snatching it up and waking over to the kitchen table, by which Akira was still alternating playing with and lifting her weights. As he poked through the contents, Takumi said, "That could work later, but it doesn't solve your problem now. So, you think you're just going to stay on as a boy for this year, then?"

"I think so," Akira confirmed, sighing and setting down her dumbbell with resignation. She frowned a bit. "It's just you and the other Hime who know, right?"

"As far as I know, yeah."

"Mm," she said. Takumi knew that the other girls had already promised to keep the secret -- a promise made in the aftermath of their victory, before Akira had come back for him --, but that was _then_, and the euphoria had died off a bit by now. It would be more difficult to keep the secret now, but Akira had the benefit of being on good terms with the more influential of the HiME group. Good terms being, of course, dating-or-something-like-that the younger brother of one such influential person. Besides, now that the HiME powers had dissipated, Akira could probably beat them all up.

"That's settled, then," Takumi said with a smile, trying his best to shake Akira away from her nervous thoughts. He held up his English textbook and shook it at Akira, saying, "Let's study, okay? It'll distract you from thinking about all this _and_ keep us from failing next year!"

Akira made a face at him, but obligingly scooted closer, muttering, "Are you trying to make a slight at my English skills?"

"Not at all, Secret Ninja," Takumi replied with a laugh. "It was a slight at both of us."

Akira snickered at that, and then proceeded to fall into the homework with all the tenacity that she showed for her other subjects. While not especially _talented_ in English, Akira certainly knew how to apply herself; Takumi, who did have a knack for languages, knew he probably wouldn't be as good at English (and other classes, for that matter) if he hadn't started studying with Akira. It had been a casual suggestion at the time, which abruptly turned into scheduled homework time with expected punctuality and dedication. Difficult, but a welcome change from the Akira who tried to close herself away with tape lines and fabric walls. At least with homework, Takumi had been able to pretend they were friends, something that slowly wound up being true.

They studied for awhile, reviewing the simple English phrases they had learned the semester before with hesitancy. After a particularly difficult translation -- which neither of them really understood even _after_ they figured it out --, Akira sat puzzling over the book with a determined expression on her face. Takumi sat back to stare at her as she did so.

Really, it was fascinating when she concentrated like that. It was always so fierce, but rarely in a frightening way. Very -- pretty, which was still odd to think about a roommate who he had thought was a man for a good, long time. And who still dressed like one. But to Takumi, Akira's gender had stopped playing a role long before he realized the reality of it. (And if he had to be honest, she wasn't really pretty in an gender-specific kind of way in the first place. It was just... pretty.)

Akira looked up and blinked, seeing his stare. "What?" she asked, suspiciously. Her eyes darted instinctively, as if looking for an intruder, which only caused Takumi to laugh, shoulders shaking as he leaned onto the table. "_What?_" Akira asked again. Her voice was taking on that embarrassed tone again.

"Nothing," Takumi said, looking up. Akira stared back at him, confused. Takumi tried, "Just--" but cut himself off.

"Just what?" Akira leaned forward, one hand curling into a fist and landing on the table lightly, holding up her weight. Oh, yes, Akira was definitely still intimidating. Thankfully, Takumi had the trump card of being the -- well, whatever he was. Friend. Akira wouldn't hurt him for a joke. (Maybe.)

"Well," began Takumi hesitantly, making a show of studying the textbook casually. "I was just thinking, you definitely should stay a boy. I mean, you wouldn't want to lose your number one hottie status, would you, Aki--"

"Shut. Up."

"But you're such an attractive bo--"

"I swear, Takumi, IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP--"

"You'll what? What will you--"

Whatever Takumi was planning on saying after that, it would never been known, for it was at that moment that Akira shoved the backpack into Takumi's face and pinned him down until he pleaded for mercy. Sure, being tickled until he cried was a trying experience, but Takumi thought it was worth it for the stark-red blush that remained on Akira's face the entire time.


End file.
